Baby&#39;s garment



May 30, 1950 J. COHEN 2,509,674-

ABY's GARMENT Filed July 26, 1948 IN1/ENT 0R .A460055 COHEN.

ATTNET.

Patented May 30, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BABYS GARMENT Jacques Cohen, New York, N. Y.

Application July 26, 1948, Serial No. 40,677

1 Claim.

` 'Ihis invention relates "to an undergarment for infants for use especially, but not exclusively, in connection with disposable diapers and similar absorbent pads.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a water-proof undergarment for infants which may serve as a holder for disposable diapers. Although its primary use is in conjunction with disposable diapers, it may also be used in association with conventional diapers of the non-disposable type. The disposable diapers which are most suitable for use with the undergarment herein claimed are not complete diapers in the sense of having wrap-around ilaps which encircle the waistline region of the infants body. Instead, they are relatively limited in scope, coverage and function. In essence they comprise absorbent pads which must be held in place by a garment such as the undergarment of the present application.

Another object of this invention is the provision of an undergarment of the character described having unique constructional features which make for great savings in the materials used and labor expended in producing the garment in quantity.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an undergarment of the character described which is automatically expansible and adjustable to accommodate the body of a growing infant. This undergarment also has the feature of being readily draped upon the infants body and as readily removed therefrom.

A preferred form of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Y Fig. 1 is a perspective view `of the garment as seen from the front when worn on the person of an infant.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of said garment showing how the garment expands in size to accommodate the body of a growing child.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the blank from which the major part of the garment is made, one end of the blank being shown folded over upon itself to form one of the pockets of the garment.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the second blank used in the making of the garment herein claimed.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the inside of the garment, said garment being shown spread out upon a flat plane.

Fig. 6 is a similar view of the outside of the garment.

Fig. 'Z is a section on the line 'I-I of Fig. 5.

It will be seen from the drawing that the body of the undergarment herein described and B5 claimed makes use of two blanks only: A large rectangular blank I IJ shown in Fig. 3, and a small three-sided blank I I,`having one rounded corner, shown in Fig. 4. More precisely, this undergarment makes use of a single blank II] and four blanks I I.

When the garment is made, the two end portions Ia and IDb of blank I0 are folded over to form pockets 26 (Fig. 7). In Fig. 3, portion IIIb is shown folded over preparatory to the sewing operations hereinafter referred to, and portion IIla is shown before it is folded over upon its contiguous portion of blank Ill. In Fig. 5, both end portions are shown folded over and sewn along their respective side edges to the side edges of the main part or body of the blank. Scams IZ, I3, I4 and I 5 indicate the lines of stitching which join the edges of the folded portions IJa and Ib to the edges of the main or body portion of blank IIJ.

It will be noted that the folded portions :are attached only along their side edges to the main part of the blank by means of the seams above mentioned. They are free from the main part of the blank along their leading edges. Hence, the pockets 26 are formed between each of the folded portions and the body part of the garment. These two pockets are disposed at opposite ends of the garment, facing each other. It is, therefore, possible to insert the two ends of an absorbent pad or disposable diaper into these two pockets. It will now be understood that this is the means by which the undergarment herein claimedaccommodates and holds absorbent pads, disposable diapers, and similar articles.

Blanks II are sewed to blank II) by means of the same seams I2 to I5 inclusive by which the sides of the flaps are sewn to the body part of blank III. This will clearly be seen in Fig. 5. It will be seen that when these blanks I I are sewn or incorporated into the garment they take on the appearance and function of side or wrap-around flaps with respect to the body of the wearer. Flaps I Ia and I Ib may be designated as the front fiaps of the garment and flaps IIc and IIId may be designated as the rear flaps. (See Fig. 1.) A binding 2U is sewn to all marginal edges of the garment to reinforce said edges and to prevent raveling. It will be noted that flaps IIa, and IIb are spaced, respectively, from flaps IIc and IId. A pair of elastic members 25 are attached to the edges of the garment in the two areas which space flaps Ila and IIb from naps IIc and IId. Binding 20 is the means by which these two elastic members are affixed to said garment edges.

which includes folded portion 10a becomes the y back of the garment. Flaps llc and Ild which are attached to the front of the garment extend-` backwardly around the sides of the infants body to the back of the garment. Flaps [la and lib, attached to the back of the garment, extend forwardly around the sides of the infantsbody to the front of the garment, and it will be noted that they overlie flaps llc and Hd respectively.

This is especially true when the garment is in= extended or enlarged condition, as pictured in Fig. 2. When the garment is in fully contracted condition, flaps lla and lib may by-pass or eX- tend beyond flaps llc and Hd without overlyingA any part of said latter aps.

To hold the garment in its draped positionY about the body of the wearer, a pair of snapfasteners is provided. The male members 2l of said snap-fasteners are aflixed to flaps lla and Hb, which may be designated as the front flaps of the garment although they are attached to the back thereof. The female members of said snap-fasteners, indicated in theV drawing by means of reference `character 22, are aliixed to a relatively wide elastic strip 23 which is attached, intermediate its ends, to the front of the garment. Stitches 24 indicate the means by which said elastic strip or band is attached to the front of the garment. It will be seen that this elastic band extends transversely of the front of the garment and its female fastening members are therefore adapted to engage the male fastening members on the front aps ofthe garment. Since this elastic band is the sole means that holds the garment about the body of the wearer, it will be appreciated that the garment is extensible or expandable to accommodate bodies of varying girths; and especially the body of a growing in fant. Besides, this relatively wide elastic band may obviate the use of a bellyband since it will apply the necessary pressure in the region of the navel of the infant.

The material of which the garment herein described is made should be a water-proof material, resistant to urine acids. In its preferred form, the garment is made of a rubber-coated fabric, but other water-proof fabrics or substitutes therefor may also be used.

It will be seen that as the infant grows, not only does the waist portion of the garment accommodate the greater girth, but the leg openings also are incidently enlarged to accommodate heavier thighs.

A preferred form of the invention has above been described. The invention is Sulciently broad in scope, however, to cover other forms or modications of the form herein described. The garment may be modified, for instance, by substituting other fastening members for the snapdasteners shown in the drawing.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

An undergarment of the character described comprising a substantially oblong blank of fabric, each end thereof being folded upon itself, the coincident side edges of said blank and of the corresponding folded-over end portions being secured together to form a pocket at each end -on theinside of said garment, a rsubstantially right triangular blank of fabric secured to said side edges adjacent each said end with one Vside of a triangle aligned with the folded end edge on `each side A`to form a continuation of said edge, said triangular blanks on each side, being spaced apart, the hypotenuse of the trianglesI on each sideof said blank facing each other, the portion of the oblong blank which lies between and is unsecured to said triangles constituting the crotchportion of the garment, each side edge only, of said crotch portion being provided with an elastic member to cause a gathering of the material of said crotch portion; an elastic fas tening member extending transversely of said garment near one end thereof on the outside of said garment and having its midsection flxedly secured thereto, a snap fastener element on each end of said elastic member releasably engageable REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ileY of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS France May 24, 1939 

